Never, ever in Houston, maybe never in the modern world, has there been under one roof a beyond-dazzling collection of purchasable jewelry totaling half a billion dollars. Yes, that was a "b" and the collection was yours for the taking (that is if you are a regular on Forbes' richest list) at a swank dinner evening last week.

Only those among Zadok Jewelers' best customers and a few close and qualifying friends of hosts Sheridan and John Eddie Williams were invited to this most amazing jewelry-infused evening. Think a 50-carat diamond ring, sapphire and diamond earrings for $250,000 and vitrines magnificently outfitted in pink diamonds, canary diamonds, emeralds, rubies and gargantuan pearls.

The Zadok family dubbed the evening the Vault Party and with the holidays just around the corner what better time to pull out the major rocks as well as fly special pieces in from around the world. The exhibition of 102 pieces took six months to assemble and coordinate the exacting details and as Jonathan Zadok said, "took seven generations of relationships and knowledge in order to really be able to put something together like this. It's not a simple fete." The pieces were assembled from the Zadok collection and from partners across the globe.

The Zadok family dubbed the evening the Vault Party and with the holidays just around the corner what better time to pull out the major rocks.

The family was fully represented, Helene and Dror Zadok visiting with special guests and their sons, Jonathan, Segev and Gilad working their magic through the gathering. It didn't hurt that their beautiful wives Amy, Michelle and Lisa, respectively were resplendent in jewelry beautiful enough for Kate Middleton's Christmas stocking.

"I don't think that in the world other than a museum exhibition would there be an exhibit of such rare items, so many rare items in one place," Jonathan Zadok said adding, "I think it's a testament to Houston to be able to have an exhibit like this, to have it in Houston."

Indeed, some of the pieces were so extraordinary that we can't even mention them. But we can talk about the rare blue diamonds (more than a dozen), to-die-for suites rubies, and the ultra-special vivid emerald-cut diamond weighing in at 20 carats.

The Williams' lavish European-style home was the perfect setting for the Vault Party as the vitrines were spaced along the vast colonnade and the buffet dinner by Elizabeth Swift was served on the terrace, the weather perfection for outdoor dining.